magazine archive
magazine archive
Aequitas
Why transport stocks need to fire if global stocks are to steam higher in 2019
Thursday 31 Jan 2019After two years of negotiations US President Donald Trump is coming up against a wall, just not the one he expected. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are blocking his plans to build a physical perimeter between America and Mexico and only agreeing to fund additional...
Is broking research any use or not?
Thursday 24 Jan 2019At just under 3,900, the FTSE 350 index stands about 10% below its mark of a year ago, which may depress some investors, especially those less experienced ones who did not experience the bear markets, of 2000 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009 or – going further back the Asian crisis of 1997-98 or the Black...
Big deals mean gold may still have lustre
Thursday 17 Jan 2019The investment decisions that generate the best returns are rarely the most comfortable or easy ones, and few asset classes generate such strong feelings as gold. Some investors will be inclined to share the view of economist John Maynard Keynes that the precious metal is a barbarous relic. Others...
How to measure the earnings power of corporate America
Thursday 10 Jan 2019A sour trading update from Apple leaves those investors who have exposure to US equities – and technology stocks in particular – with a few questions to answer. Although disappointing demand in China grabbed most of the headlines, Apple’s chief executive officer, Tim Cook, also blamed weaker growth...
How to get ready for the year ahead
Thursday 20 Dec 2018One of this column’s favourite market sayings comes from fund management legend Sir John Templeton, who once asserted that ‘Bull markets are founded on pessimism, grow on scepticism, mature on optimism and die on euphoria’. Applying this test can potentially help investors spot where value and...
Are UK stocks a value trap or a screaming buy?
Thursday 13 Dec 2018December’s failure (so far) to deliver a Santa rally means the FTSE 100 is trading at a two-year low and now also stands below the 6,930 level at which it peaked on 31 December 1999, just before the technology, media and telecoms bubble burst. This means investors are now left to decide whether...
Why the UK stock market is currently on the defensive
Thursday 06 Dec 2018All of the headlines regarding to the UK stock market may well be dominated, in the short-term at least, by the result of the 11 December vote in parliament on Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal. It seems clear from price action in the UK’s stock, bond and currency markets that no-...
Why equities are hoping corporates stay in credit
Thursday 29 Nov 2018One of the many arresting features of the 2007-09 financial crisis and resulting equity bear market was how stock markets were laid waste by problems in US housing and the bond markets. In other words, those investors who had heavy equity exposure were blindsided by a downturn in different asset...
Are the chip stocks sending a red alert signal?
Thursday 22 Nov 2018Alongside electric car maker Tesla, global graphics processing unit leader NVIDIA has acquired quasi-FAANG status, helped by the phenomenal capital gains which it has provided to investors. This makes the company – and its sudden travails, in the form of a profit warning (15 November) and steep...
Why Warren Buffett seems to be running scared of bonds
Thursday 15 Nov 2018The decision by Warren Buffett to spend some of his Berkshire Hathaway investment vehicle’s enormous cash pile on a share buyback is grabbing the headlines, as it suggests the legendary investor is struggling to find a company that he wants to acquire at a price he wants to pay. But a deeper look...